Line holder for fish stringers,and the like



I 1 United States Patent m1 3,550,823

[72] Inventor Charles F. Tohe. Jr. [56] References Cited 4922 Larkin. Houston. Tex. 77007 -5 STATES PATENTS P 7364522 273.300 3/1883 Page 54/64 1221 Filed Junell. I968 304188 8H884 I -4/64 451 Patented Dec. 29. 1970 3 1 856,554 6/1907 Stockhrll (54/64)UX 1.013.347 1/1912 Wetzel 224/5(7) 2.800.263 7/ 1957 Hunt 224/7(1l 3.191.827 6/1965 Tofte 224/7 Primary Examiner-G8tald Fprlenza LIKE 1 Anomey-Ranseler O. Wyatt 3 Claims. 4 Drawing Figs. m v

[52] U.S.Cl. 224/7, ABSTRACT: A line holder for holding a fish stringer, bait 224/25 bucket line. small craft line, and the like, comprising a plate [51] lnt.Cl. A011: 65/00 having means for mounting same on the belt of a user or on [50] Field of Search "224/7. 5. 25. the side of a boat, and having a substantial inverted U-shaped spring clamp member to receive a line and clamp said line against said plate.

LINE HOLDER FOR FISH STRINGERS, AND THE LIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is a modification of the invention described in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 3,191,827 issued June 29, 1965.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A line holder for attachment to the belt of a user, or to the.

side of a boat, and having a plate in which a ridge is formed and a spring wire mounted on the plate in a substantially inverted U-shaped with the upper portion bent and extending outwardly to receive a line and to retain same clamped between said wire and ridge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fisherman with the device attached to his belt and a line to a stringer clamped therein.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the device, and shows a line clamped therein, in dotted lines.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional top view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a rigid plate being bent along each side margin forming the vertical shoulders 2, 2 an being again bent at right angles to a plane parallel with that of the plate adjacent the vertical side margins, forming a projection to space the plate outwardly from the side margins. Belt receiving openings 3, 3 are-formed in the area between the said bends, said openings being in horizontal alignment with each other.

A vertical ridge 4 is formed at a point midway between the side margins, as by pressing the material of the plate outwardly at the vertical axes of the plate. Straddling the ridge 4 is the spring wire clamp 5, which is in as substantially inverted U- shaped and which has it ends anchored one on each side of said ridge 4. Wire receiving slits 7, 7 and 8, 8 are formed in the material of the plate 1 to receive the ends of the spring clamp 5. Screw ports 6, 6 are formed in the corners of the plate for receiving holding means for attachment of the plate 1 to the side of a boat, or the like.

The clamp 5 is bent slightly outwardly from its anchor point, then inwardly to provide a clamping action against the ridge 4, then outwardly, to a point free of the ridge 4, to readily receive the line 9, the wire of the clamp straddling the ridge 4, and yielding to receive the line of the stringer, bait bucket, etc. to release the line when the user seeks to withdraw same.

The device may be used by wade fishermen who may attach same to their belt by passing the belt through the openings 3, 3 or the device may be permanently anchored to the side of a boat, or a pier, toireceive light lines of various sorts to be releasably secured,=by passing screws through the ports 6, 6.

Iclaim:

1. In a line holder, a plate, belt receivingmeans formedadjacent each side margin of said plate, a yieldable clamp mounted on said plate, said clamp comprising a single length of spring wire bent into a substantially inverted U-shaped slits in said plate adapted to receive the ends of said wire and anchor same to said plate in horizontal alignment, said wire extending vertically parallel with said plate.

2. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said plate has outwardly extending ridge formed midway between said margins, and straddled by the wires of said clamp.

- 3. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said plate has a pair of right angular bends adjacent each side'margin to pro- 

